AMHVoices: Operation Restore Legacy a failure

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Operation Restore Legacy has dismally failed the litmus test.Zimbabweans are sick and tired of this regime and are ready to give the system the proverbial sucker punch.

By Leonard Koni, our Reader

The economy’s performance under Finance minister Mthuli Ncube and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya has failed to stimulate any growth.

Mangudya has failed to deal with foreign currency parallel market dealings, which he has labelled- asymmetrical warfare.

His predecessor Gideon Gono also suffered the same fate when he printed worthless paper money not backed by anything and failed to steer the economy back into the rail.

Meanwhile, new $10 notes have jetted in and are already trading on the black market. The $20 notes are close behind and by the time they hit the ground, inflation will be galloping like a Trojan horse.

The weekly cash withdrawal limits have increased from $300 to $1 000. This introduced $10 note cannot buy a loaf of bread. The RBZ plans to inject $600 million worth of these notes into circulation soon.

I think this economy has never loved both the old dispensation and this current new one. The problem is beyond sound economic policies. It is a political one.

Former Finance minister Tendai Biti once advised the government long time ago to adopt the South African rand, but his advice fell on deaf ears.

During the Government of National Unity, there was introduction of multi-currency system and we saw the economy stabilising.

People no longer have confidence in the Zimbabwean dollar and that is a fact. It is unfortunate that the government is trying to force people to use the local currency, but they have no confidence in the money and cannot be forced to love it.

People are still haunted by the previous experiences, the family of bearer cheques, travellers’ cheques and bond notes.

The ongoing economic difficulties, harassment, arbitrary arrests, abductions and torturing of members of the opposition is what used to sustain the late former President Robert Mugabe and we continue under the same page today.

On May 13, 2018, a small group of MDC Alliance youths held a peaceful demonstration in Warren Park, Harare, resulting in the arrest of Harare West MP Joanah Mamombe, party youth leaders Netsai Marova and Cecilia Chimbiri.

Reports say they were detained at a police roadblock and national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi was quoted in State media confirming the arrests.

Surprisingly, after a while, the MDC Alliance leadership with the help of lawyers went to Harare Central Police Station to check on the trio, but could not find them.

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights checked with other local police stations around Harare without success until they were found dumped in Bindura, 80km north of the capital.

Mnangagwa has remained mum on the alleged abduction of the three girls and the silence from the women’s pressure groups has been so deafening. His regime and its allies still continue to suffocate democratic space.

We are still experiencing long winding queues at the banks, shops, commuter omnibus ranks and boreholes. Why can’t we use that energy in the ballot box to express our displeasure.

The country continues to hog the limelight for the wrong reasons, especially on abuse of human rights.

The road to international re-engagement is slowly becoming impassable and fading away.

A football club cannot qualify for any prestigious tournament through scoring own goals.

We have scored many goals since 1990 and it’s high time we stop all this.

After the November 2017 coup when Mnangagwa took over power, Zimbabweans had high hopes of a brand new political trajectory and he even promised the nation that he was going to be a listening President and went on to add that “the voice of the people was the voice of God”. Is there still any voice in the wilderness?

Operation Restore Legacy was the greatest crime of all time. Our generational mission for political, social and economic freedom remains in the trenches. Viva Zimbabwe.

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